1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automotive seal component such as a weather strip adapted to be mounted on a door of a vehicle.
The present application is based on Japanese Patent Applications Nos. 2000-18915 and 2000-51532, which are incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, an automotive seal component is mounted around a circumference of a window glass of a door of a vehicle with a view to guiding the up and down movement of the window glass and to preventing the intrusion of water, dust, noise or the like from the outside into the inside of the vehicle. FIG. 6 shows such an automotive seal component. This automotive seal component is provided around the circumference of the window glass of the door of the vehicle and comprises a glass run portion 101 mounted on a window frame of the door and an inner weather strip 102, which is disposed along a belt line portion of the door. Front and rear ends of the inner weather strip 102 are integrally connected to the glass run portion 101 provided at the front and rear sides of the inner weather strip 102 via molded portions 103, respectively. Additionally, the glass run portion 101 has a pair of seal lips 105, 106 adapted to sliding contact sides of a window glass 104. On the other hand, the inner weather strip 102 is disposed along the belt line portion of the door or a flange portion of a door panel constituting a horizontal frame portion on a lower side of the window frame. This inner weather strip 102 has a trim portion 107 fixed to the flange portion and seal lips 108, 108 which are brought into sliding contact with one side of the window glass 104 together with the trim portion (refer to Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei. 8-25976).
According to above described art, however, the molded portion 103 has a lip portion 103a continuous with the vertically extending seal lip 105 of the glass run portion 101 and lip portions 103b, 103b continuous, respectively, with the horizontally extending seal lips 108, 108 of the inner weather strip 102. In other words, the glass run portion 101 and the inner weather strip portion 102 are made integral via the molded portion 103 such that end portions of the respective lip portions 103b connect with the lip portion 103a. Due to this, a portion is formed in the molded portion 103 where the continuity between a seal line 109 where the seal lip 105 comes into sliding contact with one side of the window glass 104 and seal lines 110 where the seal lips 108 come into sliding contact with the one side of the window glass 104 disconnects or both the seal line 109 and the seal lines 108 are not continuous with each other. Namely, a gap 111 (a portion where the continuity of the seal lines is cut) as shown in FIG. 7 is formed. Thus, there is caused a problem that the gap so formed eventually allows external noise such as wind and tire noise to intrude therethrough into the passenger compartment of the vehicle while the vehicle is running.
Further, another example of the automotive seal component is described hereinafter.
As shown in FIG. 9, a continuous weather strip (hereinafter, referred to as a xe2x80x9cglass runxe2x80x9d) 5 is mounted on a door frame 1 and a window frame (not shown) of a vehicle which widow frame extends between door panels at front and rear ends thereof. As shown in FIG. 10, the glass run 5 comprises seal lips 52 for holding therebetween a circumference of a window glass 104 that are formed along distal sides of facing side walls 51 of a main body 50 which has a substantially U-shaped cross section, whereby the window glass 104 is guided up and down movement, and the window glass 104 is sealed at the circumference thereof when the window glass 104 is closed.
Additionally, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 11, glass weather strips (hereinafter, referred to as a xe2x80x9cinner weather strip or outer weather stripxe2x80x9d) 6A, 6B each provided with double seal lips which are arranged vertically (or with a single seal lip) are mounted on upper edges (belt lines) of a door inner plate 2 and a door outer plate (not shown), respectively, and the seal lips 61, 62 hold the window glass 104 from both sides thereof and wipe the surfaces of the window glass 104 when it moves up and down.
The inner weather strip 6A inside the passenger compartment of the vehicle is generally used to mount on the inner door panel 2 by bringing the front and rear ends thereof into abutment with front and rear vertical portions of the glass run 5. Recently, however, as shown in FIGS. 8A and 9, a construction has come to be adopted in which the ends and the vertical portions are connected together to be made integral through molding.
To carry out the molding connection, the glass run 5 and the ends of the inner weather strip 6A are set inside assembled mold members in such a manner as to face each other substantially at right angles via a cavity, and thereafter a molding material is injected into the cavity to thereby form molded connecting portions 7 each provided with the seal lips 71 constituting extensions to the seal lips 61 of the inner weather strip 6A as shown in FIG. 12. In this case, to facilitate the release of the mold members after molding is completed, the mold members are assembled together such that parting lines (dividing surfaces) between the mold members match distal end lines of the seal lips 71.
It is inevitable that burrs are produced on molded products along the parting lines when molding is carried out using the assembled mold members. In a case where the molded connecting portion 7 is molded, as shown in FIG. 12, burrs 8 are formed on the distal end lines of the seal lips 71. It is difficult to perfectly cut the burrs 8 so produced, and therefore they are brought into contact with the surface of the window glass 104. When the window glass 104 moves up and down, the burrs 8 start to get worn from distal ends thereof, and fine worn particles stick to the surface of the window glass, whereby not only doest the surface of the glass window get dirty but also the sliding resistance is increased, leading to a risk that the up and down movement of the window glass 104 is disrupted. To cope with this, they make it a practice to apply a lubricant to the surface of the molded connecting portion 7, but it is difficult for the lubricant to be securely applied to distal ends of the burrs 8, and therefore it is not possible to attain intended effects.
The present invention was made in view of the aforesaid circumference, and an object thereof is to provide an automotive seal component such as a weather strip which can improve the quietness inside the passenger compartment while the vehicle is running by improving the sealing properties of the automotive seal component relative to a window glass of a door of the vehicle.
Another object thereof is to provide a weather strip which can eliminate a risk that the burrs produced on the seal lips of the molded connecting portion which connects the inner weather strip to the glass run deteriorate the window glass wiping capability of the seal lips and/or increase the resistance against the sliding window glass.
With a view to attaining the object, according to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided an automotive seal component in which a glass run portion provided along a circumference of a window glass of a door and mounted on a window frame of the door and front and rear ends of an inner weather strip disposed along a belt line portion are made integral via molded portions, the automotive seal component being characterized in that the molded portions each have provided thereon a seal lip portion adapted to be brought into sliding contact with one side of the window glass and to continuously connect a seal lip of the glass run portion with a seal lip of the inner weather strip.
According to the first aspect of the invention, the seal lips of both the glass run portion and the inner weather strip are connected to each other via the seal lip portion of the molded portion which is brought into sliding contact with one side of the window glass continuously together with the seal lips of both the glass run portion and the inner weather strip. This allows respective seal lines of the seal lips brought into sliding contact with the one side of the window glass become continuous with each other via a seal line of the seal lip portion provided on the molded portion which is brought into sliding contact with the one side of the window glass, whereby the formation of a portion where the continuity of the seal lines disconnects or a gap is prevented, thereby making it possible to improve the sealing properties of the automotive seal component relative to the window glass.
According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided an automotive seal component as set forth in the first aspect, wherein the seal lip of the inner weather strip extends downwardly relative to the one side of the window glass so as to come into sliding contact with the one side of the window glass on a lower side thereof.
According to the second aspect of the invention, in addition to the operation as set forth in the first aspect, the direction in which the downwardly oriented seal lip of the seal member deforms is identical to the direction in which the seal lip of the glass run portion does. This facilitates the integration of the seal lips of both the glass run portion and the inner weather strip via the molded portion and prevents the generation of wrinkles even when the seal lips deform.
Additionally, according to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided an automotive seal component as set forth in the second aspect, wherein a lower edge portion of the seal lip of the inner weather strip extends farther than where the seal lip abuts with the one side of the window glass in a direction in which the seal lip goes away from the one side of the window glass.
According to the third aspect of the invention, in addition to the operation as set forth in the second aspect, an upper edge of the window glass is prevented from entering the inside of the seal lip of the inner weather strip by the portion extending from the lower edge portion of the seal lip when the window glass moves up from a lowered position.
According to a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided an automotive seal component as set forth in the second aspect, wherein the seal lip portion of the molded portion is formed into a closed configuration for sliding contact with the one side of the window glass at a portion where the seal lip portion of the molded portion connects to the seal lip of the inner weather strip.
According to the fourth aspect of the invention, in addition to the operation as set forth in the second aspect, the position of the upper edge of the window glass is controlled by the closed portion of the seal lip portion when the window glass moves up from the lowered position. This prevents the upper edge of the window glass from entering the inside of the seal lip of the inner weather strip from the lower edge thereof.
According to a fifth aspect of the invention, there is provided an automotive seal component as set forth in any of the first to fourth aspects, wherein an auxiliary seal lip is provided on the glass run portion at a position closer to an end of the window glass than the seal lip of the glass run portion, the auxiliary seal lip extending in a direction parallel to a longitudinal direction of the seal lip of the glass run portion and being brought into sliding contact with the one side of the window glass.
According to the fifth aspect of the invention, in addition to the operation as set forth in any of the first to fourth aspects, in a case where there is provided an undercut portion in the seal lip of the glass run portion below the seal lip portion to facilitate the molding of the molded portion, although there is formed at the position where the undercut portion is provided a portion where the seal lip is not brought into sliding contact with the window glass, the auxiliary seal lip of the glass run portion compensates for the deterioration in sealing properties thereat.
Further, in a view to attaining another object, according to a sixth aspect of the invention, there is provided an automotive weather strip which comprises seal lips for wiping an inner surface of a door glass and in which front and rear ends of a weather strip mounted along a belt line of an inner door panel connect to a weather strip mounted along an inner circumference of a door frame via molded connecting portions and each comprising seal lips which constitute extensions to the seal lips, the automotive weather strip being characterized in that burrs which are produced on the seal lips of the connecting portions along parting lines between molds when molding the connecting portions are positioned along distal side edges on backs of the seal lips which are not in contact with the window glass.
According to a seventh aspect of the invention, in addition to the operation as set forth in the second aspect, rib-like projections are formed on backs of the seal lips of the molded connecting portion which are not in contact with the window glass in such a manner as to extend along distal side edges of the seal lips, so that burrs which are produced on the seal lips of the connecting portions along parting lines between assembled mold members when molding the molded connecting portions are positioned on apex lines of the projections.
Since the burrs are constructed so as to be positioned away from the contact surfaces of the seal lips, there is no problem that would be caused by the contact between the burrs and the window glass. In addition, since the burrs are constructed so as to be formed on the apex lines of the projections, the release of the mold members can be facilitated when molding the connecting portions.
Features and advantages of the invention will be evident from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments described in conjunction with the attached drawings.